Police: Woman in motorized wheelchair robbed at knifepoint

MAYFIELD HEIGHTS -- Police are asking for the public's help in finding the man who robbed a Mayfield Heights resident while in her motorized wheelchair.

Police say that, just before 3 p.m. today (June 5), police received a call that a woman was just robbed. The woman, 53 and a resident, reported that she was travelling in her motorized wheelchair eastbound on the sidewalk along Mayfield Road under the Interstate 271 bridge.

The woman was approached by a man from behind her. It was reported that he held a knife out and had the woman empty her purse. He then ran east and jumped into a vehicle, also travelling east on Mayfield Road.

Police scoured the area but were not able to locate the two people in the car.

The man who held the knife is described as white, in his early to mid 20's, between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall with a thin build and weighing approximately 170 pounds.

He has dark hair with no facial hair and was wearing a blue ball cap, a blue hoodie-style sweatshirt and jeans.

He had pierced ears and wore tinted glasses. The getaway car was described as a gray or silver vehicle, possibly a Chevrolet or General Motors-style with rust on the bottom of the doors. There was at least one person -- a driver-- was in the vehicle wearing a hoodie.

The victim stated that the getaway vehicle sped past her during the robbery before stopping a short distance later to pick up the suspect.

Police are asking for any witnesses that might have seen this vehicle suddenly stop on Mayfield Road while the knife-wielding man jumped into the passenger side and sped off.

If you have any information on this incident, please call the Mayfield Heights Police Department at 440-442-2323.